Refuse body with two-part packer-ejector platen

ABSTRACT

A front end loading refuse body has a two-part packer-ejector platen, an upper part being releasably locked to the front of the body while a lower packer part is performing a packing operation, and said upper part being positioned and shaped to act as a guiding ramp for refuse to permit continuous loading of the body while packing the refuse. When the lock for the upper platen part is released said upper part moves as a unit with the packer part for ejection of the load, or for supplemental packing.

United States Patent Wieschel et al.

REFUSE BODY WITH TWO-PART PACKER-EJECTOR PLATEN inventors; John E. Wleachel. Hurtlund', Jerald G. Znnzig, Brookfield; Thomas F. Petrykowski, Racine, all of Wis.

Assignee: The Heil C0., Milwaukee, Wis.

Filed: Aug. 24, 1973 Appl. No.: 391,193

US. Cl. 214/82 Int. Cl B60p 1/00 Field of Search 214/82, 833

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS.

4/1963 Mottin 214/82 X 1 Feb. 11,1975

Brisson et al. Q 2l4/83.3 x Hobe 214/82 x Primary Examiner-Frank E. Werner Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Arthur L. Morsell, Jr.

[57] ABSTRACT A front end loading refuse body has a two-part packer-ejector platen, an upper part being releasably locked to the front of the body while a lower packer part is performing a packing operation, and said upper part being positioned and shaped to act as a guiding ramp for refuse to permit continuous loading of the body while packing the refuse. When the lock for the upper platen part is released said upper part moves as a unit with the packer part for ejection of the load, or for supplemental packing.

10 Claims, 16 Drawing Figures PATENTED 3,865 260 sum 1 or 4 PATENIEI] FEB] H975 SHEET 2 BF 4 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII qllln PATENTED 1 I975 3. 865,260

SHEET 3 (IF 4 REFUSE BODY WITH TWO-PART PACKER-EJECTOR PLATEN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is adapted for use in the body of a front end loading refuse vehicle and is adapted to continuously perform high density packing while the body is being continuously loaded, the construction being such as to provide for efficient ejection of the load without tilting of the body.

2. Description of the Prior Art Front end loading refuse bodies have heretofore been proposed wherein a packer member packs refuse toward the rear of a body. Shubin US. Pat. No. 3,325,024 discloses one such apparatus. In this type of construction, however, the body must be tilted for dumping. Another such construction is shown in Bowles US. Pat. No. 2,965,254 wherein there is means for packing the load in the body. Here again the body must be tilted for dumping. Herpich U.S. Pat. No. 2,800,234 discloses a plate for packing and ejecting which eliminates the necessity of tilting to discharge the contents. In Smith US. Pat. No. 3,584,755 there is a refuse vehicle wherein a small compacting plunger pushes refuse through a lower front end loading opening and compacts it. This plunger has a swingable cover which is swung to an upright position to aid in ejection of the load.

In none of these patents is there a two-part packerejector platen wherein an upper part may be releasable locked to the front of the body to serve as a ramp and permit continuous loading while the packing operation is being performed. With this arrangement it is insured that material dumped into the top opening of the body will not lodge on a wrong side of a packer blade. With the novel arrangement of the present invention the upper portion of the platen is releasable to move as a unit with the packer part when it is desired to eject the load through a rear door opening, or for supplemental packing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a refuse body with a novel two-part packer-ejector platen, there being an upper part which can be releasably locked to the front of the body, and there being a lower packing part, the upper part being movable as a unit with the lower part when its lock is released to provide a full height ejector platen for ejecting the load without tilting of the body, or for performing supplemental packing.

A general object of the invention is to provide, in a refuse body, an improved two-part packer-ejector platen which permits the obtaining of more density high dinsity packing, and which permits packing to be performed while the body is being loaded.

A further object of the invention is to provide a refuse body in which the usual necessity of stopping the packer plate in its forwardmost position while loading to insure against deposited refuse material lodging on the wrong side of the packer is eliminated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved refuse body wherein the upper portion of the two-part packer-ejector platen is normally locked to the front of the body to continuously guide the refuse to a proper position with respect to the packer part so that it may be efficiently acted upon.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in one form of the invention, separate hydraulic actuating means for the upper and lower platen parts, together with novel control mechanism to permit selective operation of the packer part while the upper portion is maintained against movement or, alternatively, to provide for conjoint movement of the two parts for supplemental packing, or as a unit during the ejecting part of the cycle. 7

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a refuse body, means whereby the two platen parts are effectively guided in the body to provide for movement of the lower part independently of the upper part, or for movement of the two parts as a unit.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved refuse body with two-part packer ejector platen, and all of its parts and combinations, as set forth in the claims, and all equivalents thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS I In the accompanying drawings, in which the same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of the views:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a refuse vehicle with one embodiment of the improved refuse body thereon, part of the refuse body being broken away to show the improvedtwo-part packer-ejector platen, the upper part being shown as locked to the front of the body and the lower packer part being in retracted position;

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the body alone and showing the lower packer part in an extended position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the lower packer part in a retracted position, the upper part being unlatched from the body and latched to the lower part, preparatory to an ejection stroke;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the body alone showing the two-part platen at the end of an ejecting stroke, with the rear end door in open position;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view through a refuse body showing one means for independently guiding and supporting the upper and lower parts on the sides of the body;

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing another guiding and supporting arrangement, the upper platen part being guided on the sides of the body as in FIG. 5, but the lower part being supported on L-shaped rails;

FIGS. 7 through 11 are similar views showing various alternate ways of supporting and guiding the upper and lower platen parts;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view through the front end of a refuse body showing an alternate form of the invention wherein there is hydraulic operating mechanism for each part of the platen, the hydraulic control means being illustrated diagrammatically;

FIG. 13 is an enlarged detail view of the releasable lock for the upper platen part;

FIG. 14 is a wiring diagram for the electric switches;

FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view of the ejector cylinders in retracted condition; and

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary view of the upper platen for the support species of FIGSJ7 or 8.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring more particularly to the drawings, first to FIGS. 1-4, the numeral 20 designates a motor truck having a cab 21, a refuse body 22, and front end loading arms 23 of any well-known type pivoted to the chassis as at 24, and having forwardly-projecting lifting forks 23' which are adapted to make engagement with a refuse container. As is well known in the art, the loading arms 23 are suitably operated to swing the refuse container to an inverted condition over the loading opening 26 in the body to dump the refuse therein. The body includes a front wall 27, a bottom 27', side walls 29, and a top 30, the top 30 having the loading opening 26. The body is rectangular in cross section as shown in FIGS. -11, and there is a rear discharge opening 31 adapted to be closed by a rear gate 32 which is hinged at its top for swinging movement. Any suitable means may be employed for releasably latching the gate 32 in closed position.

Mounted for slideable movement within the body is the novel two-part packer-ejector platen designated generally by the numeral 33. This includes an upper ejector part 34 and a lower packer part 35. The upper part 34 has an inclined surface 36. When the two-part packer-ejector platen is in the position of FIG. I, refuse which has been loaded into the top loading opening 26 will be directed by the ramp surface 36 to a position in front of the packer part 35 so that it may be engaged.

by the latter when the latter moves to the position shown in FIG. 2.

The two-part packer-ejector platen may be supported and guided in the body in any one of a number of ways. Some of these ways are illustrated in FIGS. 5-11.

Referring first to FIG. 5, the side walls of the body may have upper longitudinally-extending rails 37 and lower longitudinally-extending rails 38. The upper platen member 34 may have side grooves 39 for receiving the rails whereby the upper platen member is supported for longitudinal sliding movement. The lower platen member or packer 35 may have side grooves 40 for receiving the rails 38 whereby the lower packer member is supported for slideable movement longitudinally of the body.

In FIG. 6, the rails 137 which correspond to the rails 37 of FIG. 5 coact with side grooves 139 in the upper platen member. The lower platen member or packer 135 is, however, supported on angle irons 138 at the bottom-of the body and slideable therealong.

In the form of the invention of FIG. 7, the lower platen member is supported as in FIG. 5 on rails 238. which engage with side grooves 240. The support for the upper platen member is, however, different. It has side grooves 239 which are engaged by tongue portions 237 which project inwardly from upward projections 219 of the lower platen section. Thus the upper platen section is supported on the lower platen section for slideable movement relative thereto. In this form of the invention additional support between the body and the upper platen is required, such as a pin 250 which enters a hole 251 in the front of the body when the upper platen is retracted (see FIG. 16). i In the form of the invention of FIG. 8, the uppe platen section is supported on the lower platen section in the same manner shown in FIG. 7 through the medium of the grooves 339 and tongues 337 projecting inwardly from the side extensions 319. The lower platen section has a longitudinally-extending T-slot 340 which is engaged with a T-rail 338 as illustrated. Additional support like that shown in FIG. 16 is also needed for the upper platen section.

In the form of the invention of FIG. 9, the upper platen section is of gantry shape and has depending sides 418 provided with outwardly-projecting feet 437 which engage grooves 439 in the side walls. The lower platen section or packer is embraced by the depending sides 418 to be slideable relative to the upper platen section. It has a bottom longitudinal groove 440 for receiving a rail 438 extending longitudinally along the bottom of the body.

FIG. 10 illustrates another modification where the upper platen section is supported as in FIG. 5 on side rails 537 which are received in side grooves 539 of the upper platen member. Here the upper platen member has short depending side portions 518 with inwardlydirected flanges 517 which engage in side recesses 538 so that the lower platen section is, in effect, suspended from the upper platen section;

The modification of FIG. 11 discloses an upper platen section which is substantially the height of the body and which is provided with a tunnel 616 for slideably receiving the lower platen section, the latter having a bottom groove 640 which engages with a longitudinal upstanding rail 638 projecting upwardly from the bottom of the tunnel.

In the embodiment of FIGS. l-4, suitable latching mechanism is employed to releasably lock the upper platen section to the front wall of the body and, alternatively, to releasably lock the upper and lower platen sections together. As illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 and 13, there is an apertured lug 41 projecting inwardly from the front of the body for removably receiving the upper end of a locking pin 42. The latter is slideably supported by apertured ears 43 at the front of the upper platen section. The front of the lower platen section has an apertured lug 44 projecting forwardly. When the parts are in the position of FIG. 1, if the locking pin 42 is slid to an upward position, it will engage the aperture of the lug 41 to lock the upper platen section to the front of the body as in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the latching pin 42 is slid in a downward direction, it may be made to disengage the lug 41 and to engage the lug 44 of the lower platen section as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. When in this position, the upper and lower platen sections are locked together to move as a unit for a purpose to be hereafter described.

The lower platen section 35 is hollow and open at the front to accommodate telescoping double-acting cylinders 45 of hydraulic actuating mechanism. When the cylinders are extended from the position of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. 2, the lower packer part may be hydraulically moved back and forth between the positions of FIGS. 1 and 2 to forcibly pack material in the body. When the two-part packer-ejector platen is latched together as in FIGS. 3 and 4, the hydraulic operating mechanism 45 may be operated to cause ejection of the load as shown in FIG. 4, the tailgate 32 being open, or it may be operated for supplemental packing.

A very practical embodiment of the invention for commercial use is illustrated in FIG. 12. Here the upper and lower platen sections 734 and 735, respectively,

may be supported for longitudinal sliding movement in any of the ways illustrated in FIGS. 5 through 11. In this form of the invention there is hydraulic cylinder mechanism for each one of the platen parts. Cylinder 745 is preferably a double-acting cylinder pivotally connected at one end, as at 746, with a depending projection 747 from the upper platen 734, and pivotally connected at its other end, as at 748, with the lower platen section or packer. In the upper platen section is a set of telescopic hydraulic ejector cylinders 749 pivotally con.- nected at one end to the front wall of the body, as at 750, and at the other end, as at 751, to the upper platen section. A shift bar 752 is slideably supported on the upper platen section as illustrated. One end of said bar is engageable with the upper end of a pivoted shift lever 753 on the upper platen part, and the other end is engageable with the upper end of a pivoted shift lever 754 pivoted to the front of the body. A stop 755 limits the forward movement of the upper platen section. The shift lever 754 is adapted to be actuated by a striker bar 756 projecting from the forward end of the lower platen section. The shift lever 753 on the upper platen is adapted to be actuated by a striker projection 757 which projects upwardly from the top of the lower platen section and which rides in a slot 758 in the bottom of the upper platen section.

The hydraulic circuit for the hydraulic cylinders includes a reservoir 759, a pump 760, a hydraulic line 761 leading from the pump to a main control valve 762, and a hydraulic line 763 leading from the tank to the control valve. Other lines 764 and 765 connect the control valve with the ejector cylinder set 749. Other hydraulic lines 766 and 767 connect the hydraulic cyinder 749 with a reversing control valve 768 having a plunger 769 which is operated by an operating member 770 projecting upwardly from the shift bar 752 and rigid therewith. Other hydraulic lines 771 and 772 connect the control valve 768 with the cylinders 745.

OPERATION In operation of the form of the invention shown in FIGS. l-4, with the parts in the position of FIG. 1, the front end loader may be operated to dump refuse containers (not shown) into the top opening 26. This material will roll down the ramp surface 36 of the upper platen section to a position adjacent the operating end of the packer part 35. The packer part may be continuously operated between the positions of FIGS. 1 and 2 to pack the load in the body. This back-and-forth packing movement may be carried on continuously, and the dumping of the containers into the top opening may be done at any time regardless of whether the packer is operating with packing strokes. If material is dumped into the body while the packer part is in the position of FIG. 2, it will merely slide down on top of the packer part. Then when the packer part retracts to the position of FIG. 1, the refuse which was formerly on top of the packer will be scraped off by the lower scraping edge 46 to fall in front of the packer part ready for the next packing stroke. Thus there is no need to coordinate packing with loading, as packing may be performed continuously and loading can be more or less continous as permitted by the normal operation of a front end loader. While normal packing is being performed, the upper platen section is locked to the front of the body as in FIGS. 1 and 2, or is otherwise maintained in its forwardmost position in the manner illustrated in FIG. 12. At any time desired, the upper and lower platen parts may be latched together and the two parts moved together as a unit to perform supplemental packing. After the body has been completely filled with refuse, then the upper platen section is unlatched from the body and latched to the lower platen section as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Thereafter the telescopic cylinders may be fully extended as in FIG. 4 to eject the load, the rear door 32 being open.

In the form of the invention of FIG. 12, after the upper and lower sections of the split platen have moved toward the cab following an ejection stroke, and after the upper platen has hit stop 755, then the parts are in position for the start of a new packing cycle. After the shift lever on main frame has hit switch 15 (see FIGS. 12 and 14), this closes circuit to a suitable holding solenoid switch 780 when the manual switch in the cab is also closed, and the main control valve 762 is now held in a position ready for rearward movement of the ejector cylinder. Also, when the parts are in the position of FIG. 12, the plunger 28 strikes the front wall of the body and moves valve 25 in hydraulic line 771 leading to the ram cylinder 745 to open position, permitting flow and permitting ram cylinder 745 to operate. When the upper platen 734 is fully retracted, the cylinder 745 for the lower ram is also fully retracted. In addition, the plunger 756 has hit shift lever 754 to move the valve plunger 7 69 to the right. This shifts the valve 768 to a position to permit flow of oil into the packer cylinder 745 to cause the packer to extend toward the right, the plunger 28 maintaining the valve 25 open as long as the upper platen is in a position against the wall because the outer cylinder of set 754 is connected to the upper platen. This results in movement of the lower platen or packer section from the position of FIG. 1 to the position of FIG. 2. When the packer 725 arrives at the position of FIG. 2, the striker 757 will hit the shift bar 753 and cause shifting of the valve 768 back to retracting position. Thus the packer will move back and forth between the positions of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in a packing sequence. During all of this time the oil pressure is on the retract area of cylinder 749 to hold the upper platen 734 in fully retracted position against stop 755, as shown in FIG. 15. From this figure it may be seen that hydraulic fluid from line 764, which enters port 775, flows through-the communicating ducts of the collapsed cylinders as shown in FIG. 15, there being an outlet from port 776 which is connected to fluid line 766 leading to the valve 768. Hydraulic fluid from line 765 communicates with port 774 of the cylinders of FIG. 15 which, through chamber 777, is in communication with outlet port 778 leading to line 767. Thus, while the packer cylinder is moving back and forth between the positions of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 in a packing sequence, the oil pressure in the cylinders of FIG. 15 maintains the cylinders in the retracted condition as illustrated. During this period the upper ramp surface of the upper platen 734 serves to guide material which has been dumped into the receiving opening 26 to a position where it can be acted on by the packer.

When it is desired to eject the load, or when it is desired to do supplemental packing by having both sections move conjointly, the attendant presses the electric switch 779 (in the cab) for the solenoid-operated valve 762 (see FIG. 14) to move the control valve to ejecting position. Solenoid valve 762 will not shift to eject" unless switch 15 is simultaneously closed with 779 to ensure that the ram is retracted. When this oc- 7 curs, the cylinders 749 are extended and the upper platen moves toward the rear of the refuse body. Inasmuch as the plunger 28 then moves out of contact with the wall, the spring will close the valve 25 to prevent oil flowing into the cylinder 745. Inasmuch as the other cylinder set 754 is in retracted condition, the latter will move with the upper platen due to the mechanical con nection between the depending portion 747 and the cylinder set 745. Thus the upper and lower parts will be acted on by the packer, this being true regardless of the position of the packing ram at the time. The improved construction also provides for a full height ejector when it is desired to eject the load through the rear door opening, or for a full height supplemental packing action.

Various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all of such changes are contemplated as may come within the scope of the claims.

What we claim is:

1. in a refuse vehicle having a body within which refuse is adapted to be compacted, said body having a front end wall, having a rear opening, and having a door for releasably closing said rear opening, the improvement comprising a two-part ejector platen mounted for movement longitudinally in said body and having an upper part and a lower packer part, doubleacting fluid pressure-operated telescopic cylinder means connecting said'upper platen part to said front end wall, fluid pressure-operated telescopic cylinder means connected between a lower portion of said upper platen part and said lower platen part, a pressure fluid circuit for operating said cylinder means for said upper platen part, conduits between the cylinder means of said upper platen part and the cylinder means for the lower platen part, reversing valve means in said conduits, means responsive to movement of said two-part platen to a position adjacent the-front wall of the body for operating said reversing valve in one direction, means responsive to extension movement of the lower platen part relative to said upper platen part for operating said control valve in a reverse direction, and means for maintaining said fluid pressure-operated cylinders for the upper platen part in a hold condition with the upper platen part against the front wall while the fluid pressure cylinder means for the lower packer platen guiding refuse which is falling by gravity and having a lower packer part, means for releasably maintaining said upper part in fixed position adjacent said front wall of the body near the cab, there being a refuse-receiving opening adjacent the front of the body so positioned that refuse is deposited adjacent said packer ejector platen while it is in said front-location with some of the deposited refuse being guided by the refuse-guiding portion of the upper platen part, said lower packer part, when in its front position, being located so that said guided refuse is guided into a position to be acted upon by said lower platen part, power-operated means for causing reciprocable packing movement of said lower packer part to compact said deposited refuse rearwardly in the body while the upper part remains in said fixed position adjacent the cab, and means for selectively causing conjoint ejecting movement of said two platen parts toward the rear while the rearwardlyfacing end of the lower packer part is substantially below the rear of the upper platen part.

3. Arefuse vehicle as claimed in claim 2 in which the refuse-receiving opening is in the top of the body near the front end thereof and over the upper platen part.

4. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 3 in which the refuse-guiding portion of said upper platen part forms a ramp directing refuse to a position to be acted upon by the lower packer part.

5. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 2 in which the means for releasably maintaining said upper part in fixed position comprises cooperating locking means on the-upper platen part and on a wall of the body.

6. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 5 in which the means for selectively causing conjoint movement of said two platen parts to eject theload includes means for locking the two platen parts for movement together when the upper platen part has been released.

7. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 2 in which the upper platen part has a lower portion projecting rearwardly a predetermined distance toward the rear end of the body, and in which the length of the reciprocable 'packing movement of said packer part is no greater than said predetermined distance.

8. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 2 in which the power-operated means for causing reciprocable movement of the packer part comprises d'oubleacting fluid pressure-operated cylinder means connected between the front wall of the body and the packer part.

9. In a refuse vehicle having a body within which refuse is adapted to be compacted, said body having a front end wall, having a rear opening, and having a door for releasably closing said rear opening, the improvement comprising a two-part packer-ejector platen mounted for movement longitudinally in said body and having an upper part and a lower packer part, means for releasably maintaining said upper part in fixed position adjacent said front wall of the body, there being a refuse-receiving opening adjacent the front of the body so positioned that refuse is deposited adjacent said packer-ejector platen, double-acting fluid pressureoperated cylinder means connected between the upper platen part and the lower platen part for causing reciprocable packing movement of said lower packer part to compact said deposited refuse rearwardly in the body while the upper part remains in said fixed position, and means including double-acting fluid pressure-operated telescopic ejector cylinder means connected between the front wall of the body and the upper platen part for 10 which there is means including control valves in said circuit for selectively controlling said movement of the two platen parts. 

1. In a refuse vehicle having a body within which refuse is adapted to be compacted, said body having a front end wall, having a rear opening, and having a door for releasably closing said rear opening, the improvement comprising a two-part ejector platen mounted for movement longitudinally in said body and having an upper part and a lower packer part, double-acting fluid pressure-operated telescopic cylinder means connecting said upper platen part to said front end wall, fluid pressure-operated telescopic cylinder means connected between a lower portion of said upper platen part and said lower platen part, a pressure fluid circuit for operating said cylinder means for said upper platen part, conduits between the cylinder means of said upper platen part and the cylinder means for the lower platen part, reversing valve means in said conduits, means responsive to movement of said two-part platen to a position adjacent the front wall of the body for operating said reversing valve in one direction, means responsive to extension movement of the lower platen part relaTive to said upper platen part for operating said control valve in a reverse direction, and means for maintaining said fluid pressure-operated cylinders for the upper platen part in a hold condition with the upper platen part against the front wall while the fluid pressure cylinder means for the lower packer platen part is operating.
 2. In a refuse vehicle having a cab and a body within which refuse is adapted to be compacted, said body having a front end wall adjacent the rear of the cab, having a rear opening, and having a door for releasably closing said rear opening, the improvement comprising a two-part packer ejector platen mounted for movement longitudinally in said body and having an upper part with a rearwardly-facing refuse-guiding portion for guiding refuse which is falling by gravity and having a lower packer part, means for releasably maintaining said upper part in fixed position adjacent said front wall of the body near the cab, there being a refuse-receiving opening adjacent the front of the body so positioned that refuse is deposited adjacent said packer ejector platen while it is in said front location with some of the deposited refuse being guided by the refuse-guiding portion of the upper platen part, said lower packer part, when in its front position, being located so that said guided refuse is guided into a position to be acted upon by said lower platen part, power-operated means for causing reciprocable packing movement of said lower packer part to compact said deposited refuse rearwardly in the body while the upper part remains in said fixed position adjacent the cab, and means for selectively causing conjoint ejecting movement of said two platen parts toward the rear while the rearwardly-facing end of the lower packer part is substantially below the rear of the upper platen part.
 3. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 2 in which the refuse-receiving opening is in the top of the body near the front end thereof and over the upper platen part.
 4. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 3 in which the refuse-guiding portion of said upper platen part forms a ramp directing refuse to a position to be acted upon by the lower packer part.
 5. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 2 in which the means for releasably maintaining said upper part in fixed position comprises cooperating locking means on the upper platen part and on a wall of the body.
 6. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 5 in which the means for selectively causing conjoint movement of said two platen parts to eject the load includes means for locking the two platen parts for movement together when the upper platen part has been released.
 7. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 2 in which the upper platen part has a lower portion projecting rearwardly a predetermined distance toward the rear end of the body, and in which the length of the reciprocable packing movement of said packer part is no greater than said predetermined distance.
 8. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 2 in which the power-operated means for causing reciprocable movement of the packer part comprises double-acting fluid pressure-operated cylinder means connected between the front wall of the body and the packer part.
 9. In a refuse vehicle having a body within which refuse is adapted to be compacted, said body having a front end wall, having a rear opening, and having a door for releasably closing said rear opening, the improvement comprising a two-part packer-ejector platen mounted for movement longitudinally in said body and having an upper part and a lower packer part, means for releasably maintaining said upper part in fixed position adjacent said front wall of the body, there being a refuse-receiving opening adjacent the front of the body so positioned that refuse is deposited adjacent said packer-ejector platen, double-acting fluid pressure-operated cylinder means connected between the upper platen part and the lower platen part for causing reciprocable packing movement of said lower packer part to compact said deposited refuse rearwardly in the body while the upper part remains in said fixed position, and means including double-acting fluid pressure-operated telescopic ejector cylinder means connected between the front wall of the body and the upper platen part for causing conjoint movement of said two platen parts toward the rear.
 10. A refuse vehicle as claimed in claim 9 in which there is a common hydraulic circuit for said packer cylinder means and said ejector-cylinder means, and in which there is means including control valves in said circuit for selectively controlling said movement of the two platen parts. 